0000000000343311
AUTHOR
Vincenzo Baldo
Prevalence of Pneumococcal Serotypes in Community-Acquired Pneumonia among Older Adults in Italy: A Multicenter Cohort Study
Pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a leading cause of mortality. Following the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) in children, a decrease in the burden of the disease was reported. In parallel, an increase in non-vaccine serotypes was also noted. The objective of this study was to assess the current serotype-specific epidemiology of pneumococci among Italian older adults hospitalized for CAP. A prospective study was conducted between 2017 and 2020 in four Italian regions. Subjects aged ≥65 years hospitalized with confirmed CAP were tested for pneumococci using both pneumococcal urinary antigen and serotype-specific urine antigen tests able to identify all…
Impact of universal vaccination against varicella in Italy.
In Italy, the introduction of Universal Varicella Vaccination (UVV) has been decided but postponed, as a national programme, until 2015, when data from Regions which have already implemented it will be available. Starting from 2003, eight Italian Regions (Basilicata, Calabria, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Apulia, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany and Veneto) have progressively introduced UVV, in their immunization programme, with different schedules in children aged 13–15 months and 5–6 years, currently a two-dose schedule is adopted by all Regions. In June 2013, an Interregional Group on Varicella Vaccination (IGVV) has been established in order to assess the effectiveness of varicella vaccination with …
Evaluation of humoral and cellular response to four vaccines against COVID-19 in different age groups: A longitudinal study
To date there has been limited head-to-head evaluation of immune responses to different types of COVID-19 vaccines. A real-world population-based longitudinal study was designed with the aim to define the magnitude and duration of immunity induced by each of four different COVID-19 vaccines available in Italy at the time of this study. Overall, 2497 individuals were enrolled at time of their first vaccination (T0). Vaccine-specific antibody responses induced over time by Comirnaty, Spikevax, Vaxzevria, Janssen Ad26.COV2.S and heterologous vaccination were compared up to six months after immunization. On a subset of Comirnaty vaccinees, serology data were correlated with the ability to neutr…
Attitudes and beliefs on influenza vaccination during the covid-19 pandemic: Results from a representative italian survey
The last 2019/20 northern hemisphere influenza season overlapped with the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Italy was the first western country where severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spread to a significant extent. In this representative cross-sectional survey, we aimed to describe some opinions and attitudes of the Italian general population towards both influenza vaccination and the COVID-19 pandemic, and to identify potential modifiers of the decision-making process regarding the uptake of the 2020/21 influenza vaccine. A total of 2543 responses were analyzed. Although most (74.8%) participants valued influenza vaccination positively …
Combined hexavalent diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis-hepatitis B-inactivated poliovirus-Hemophilus influenzae type b vaccine; Infanrix™ hexa: Twelve years of experience in Italy
Infant vaccination using 2-dose priming at 3 and 5 mo of age with a booster at 11–12 mo of age was pioneered in Italy. The 3-5-11 schedule is now used in a growing number of European countries. Infanrix™ hexa (DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib, GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines) was first licensed for use in 2000 and has been the only pediatric hexavalent vaccine available since 2005. We reviewed available clinical trial data describing the immunogenicity of DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib when administered at 3, 5, and 11 mo of age, and conducted an analysis of safety using global and Italian post-marketing surveillance data. In Italy, DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib has a demonstrated safety record extending over a decade of use, it has been a…